As young people create projects in Scratch, they learn many of the 21st century skills that will be critical to success in the future: thinking creatively, communicating clearly, analyzing systematically, using technologies fluently, collaborating effectively, designing iteratively, learning continuously.
Scratch can be used in many different settings: schools, museums, community centers, and homes. It is intended especially for 8- to 16-year-olds, but younger children can work on Scratch projects with their parents or older siblings, and college students use Scratch in some introductory computer science classes.
See Scratch videos for videos on how to use and to introduce Scratch
The Scratch Interface Diagram (PDF) explains the different parts of the Scratch Screen
Scratch Cards offer a fun way to learn Scratch code you can use in projects
Scratch in Many Lanugages lists resources in Spanish and many other languages
For more detailed information about Scratch, see the Scratch Reference Guide (PDF).
Different people get started with Scratch in different ways. Some like to tinker with various blocks to see what they do. Others like to experiment with the sample projects that come with Scratch, and then make changes to the scripts. As an initial activity, we often encourage people to create a project using the letters in their name.
One-page handouts: Learning with Scratch (PDF) | Creating with Scratch (PDF) | Programming with Scratch (PDF)
Scratch and 21st Century Skills (PDF)
Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age (PDF)
